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Football News: Manchester United v Leicester City 10 August 2018

Manchester United v Leicester City 10 August 2018
Image from: barbarashdwallpapers.com

Leicester are involved in the opening game of the Premier League season for a second year running, having lost 4-3 to Arsenal at the Emirates on a Friday night in 2017. They will be looking to avoid a repeat of that here - they were 3-2 ahead with 10 minutes remaining in that game before late strikes from Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud consigned them to back-to-back opening day defeats in the Premier League since their remarkable title win in 2015-16.
That was the first time in English football history that the opening top-flight match kicked off on a Friday - meaning this game will be the second time ever, with the Foxes involved on both occasions.

 

As for Manchester United, they have an impeccable opening game record. They have won 17 of them in the Premier League, more than any other side, including both under manager Jose Mourinho (3-1 v Bournemouth in 2016, 4-0 v West Ham in 2017).

 

Leicester's record against the Red Devils doesn't make for optimistic reading from their perspective. Since that incredible 5-3 win over them in 2014 when Esteban Cambiasso was on the scoresheet, the Foxes are winless in seven league games against Man Utd - they didn't even beat them in their title-winning 2015-16 campaign, drawing both matches that term, and now that they are without their star winger Riyad Mahrez, it'll take some effort for them to get anything here.

 

Key players:
Juan Mata - The Spaniard enjoys playing against Leicester City - four goals in his last four games against them in the league; that's more than he has against any other side for Manchester United. Who knows whether he will play, such is the unpredictability of Mourinho's lineups, but with the likes or Rashford and Lukaku arriving late after World Cup duties, Mata could play a key role here.
Wilfried Ndidi - The Premier League's top tackler last season,

 

Ndidi will be pivotal in breaking up play for Leicester. With Vardy and Maguire both doubtful after late World Cup returns and Mahrez sold to champions Manchester City, Leicester are short of key players going into a tricky opening day trip to Manchester United, and that makes Ndidi all the more important. He's only a young player, but he proved himself as one of the division's best in his position last season.

Written by Reid The Red August 10 2018 09:54:25

 

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